Jones, who finished second in Lorne’s iconic Pier to Pub superfish section the previous weekend, said he was rapt to win the series for the first time.

“I wasn’t going to do this one but I pulled up pretty good after last weekend so I thought I’d have a go,” he said. “I don’t really worry about how much I win by. I just have a bit of fun.”

Jones said the course difficulty was dictated by the conditions.

“It did get a bit choppy going around the back but otherwise it was reasonably calm,” he said.

“I have never done this one so I wasn’t too sure about where to look and pick out a landmark but it was pretty easy.”

Berger said it was an interesting course.

“I still reckon Warrnambool is the toughest and Port Fairy was really good this year,” she said. “This one would be good if there was a really strong current and you kind of got pushed around the buoys.

“I went inside a couple and then had to swim back out and go around them.”

Berger does most open water swimming with her eyes closed.

“I got scared at one stage because all I could see was open water and I thought ‘oh no I’m going the wrong way’,” she said.

“I opened them on the way in and you could see the bottom and it was just sand.

“On the way I didn’t want to open up my eyes because it was all rocks and everything.”

Warrnambool Swimming Club will send a 40-strong team to the Victorian country championships in Sale on Thursday.